This time I'm smoking from a freshly-opened tin dated Nov 2012. And it's superb, though a tad different from my somewhat aged bulk version. What's most striking about the fresh version is the marvelous complexity: lots of different cuts and colours.

And that translates admirably to a variety of flavours and aromas. At the beginning there's only the mildest sensation. With slow gentle puffs one detects the sweet soft mellow character of Virginia. Shortly afterwards the smoker experiences a deep somewhat smoky flavour of the dark-fired components: both Kentucky and Latakia. Then the burley appears, with its companionable aroma and rounded, nutty quality.

The tin's description is accurate: no single flavour dominates. Rather, Scottish Blend Mixture is a marvel of balance and complexity. It's mild enough to smoke repeatedly, but very satisfying in both flavour and aroma when sipped, allowing ample time for its character to develop.

But it's a disaster waiting to happen for the unaware smoker who's used to a full-flavoured tobacco. If Mixture is puffed too quickly or too strongly, in an attempt to coax more flavour out of it, a scorched tongue will undoubtedly result.

Also my experience suggests that Mixture should be packed very loosely to allow for good air circulation. That way the tobacco will smoulder on its own and remain cool, which is the key to extracting the best flavours and aromas. I use the airpocket method of loading so that the draw is effortless and the tobacco has plenty of room to expand.

Aroma: less than average SMs (i.e. Davidoff, Comoy's, & co.)

Taste: less than average SMs; and not so much satisfaction...

Room note: it can be boring, but.. less than other SMs

Burning: not really fast, but faster than usual SMs

Best Briars: I've a number of my best Castello, Comoy's, Savinelli, and so on pipes, exclusively dedicated to EM, Balkan and SM blends, but I preferred to use for this tobacco normal pipes, in fear it can dilute the superb taste they deserves...

Not really bad, not really good. If you like Scottish style mixtures, you can choose some better; it's by me, of course.

After a couple of horrible experiences with some other MB aromatics who's bite was too much for me, this one was somewhat smokeable due to a pleasant coating effect and dense smoke at the beginning of each draw. There's bite in it too and that's a no-no.

I'm left wondering how many people give up the beautiful world of pipesmoking due to the bite and hot temperature of your average, readily available aromatic tobacco.

I can't help but think that if a mild cool burning english mixture was as common as a mac baren vanilla, we'd see more people enjoying the pipe!

in the end perhaps it's worth a try for a soft entry into aromatic tobaccoes.

Though the roll cakes are my favorites when it comes to Mac Baren old or new, I must say this is one fine old tobacco. I really get more of a fruit scent from the tin itself than the alcohol/liquor noted in the blend description above, but for me very little of this comes out in the smoke. I may get more complexity from the roll cakes, but this, at least at around 30 years old, is a mild, pleasant, and smooth smoke, and there is no hint of bite, even if I puff heavily (though usually I have found this one best at just a normal smoking rate).

I still have a tin in reserve, and I'll probably hold off opening it, though I doubt it could change all that much more at this point. I guess I'll eventually have to try a new tin at some point, just to see if the mixtures do indeed change with that kind of age on them as much as the roll cakes; I have had old and new tinnings of a couple of those side by side, and 20 or 30 years turns them into something different altogether!

Moisture content was still good though a bit on the dry side from years of storage. The tin note was vinus sweet and sligtly brandy like with a subtle spicyness.

It filled well due to the mixed cut and lit with only one relight. The smoke was cool with quite a rich nutty woodyness with a slight cream finish. Further down the bowl the woodyness increased and a pleasant whisky-and-spice aftertaste. The ash is grey/white and it burns clean. A little bite came about at the tail end of the bowl.

The room note is light and descreet ceadar-woody and dry.

I quite like this tobacco even from only trying two bowls. It has great character rather like Dunhill flake but more full. It is only lightly cased the majority of the flavor coming from the excellent cure of the burley and virginias in the blend. Though it does not say on the jar im certain there is csome perique in there somewhere too.

I would smoke this blend again though it might be a bit much to smoke all the time. As a regular smoke of this sort I still prefer Dunhill Flake. Overall a very well blended medium aromatic with fine English quailities.

Tongue taste (the taste you feel on your tongue when you first get the smoke into your mouth): honeylike, round and sweet, sometimes towards the spicier side.

Snork taste (the taste when you roll the smoke around in your mouth and out of your nostrils): semi-sweet, creamy, quite full-bodied. Aromatic but with a natural tobacco taste.

All together: a tobacco that manages to combine a good taste on the tongue and "snork" (which many in my experience fail - often it is either or), and which has a full bodied, powerful but still pleasantly mild taste.

No matter the pipe, though, this is just a wonderful blend if you appreciate it for its own merits and don't push it or try to make it something it is not. This is merely a well-crafted and well-behaved blend that offers nothing more than a very enjoyable smoke. If you want an "experience" or crave nuance, then look elsewhere because MacB Scottish Mixture will probably disappoint. However, if you want a really relaxing and enjoyable bowl of tobacco that promises (and delivers) nothing more than a wonderful smoke then this may be for you. It's not a "complex" smoke, even though the blend itself is - it's more like a "comfortable" smoke.

MacB tobaccos took the U.S. market by storm over 50 years ago because they offered something completely new at the time: a high-quality pipe tobacco that fell somewhere between the OTC's of the day and the high-end European blends of the day. They still offer that unique type of "cross-over," and that is the very essence of a Danish blend. Their blends, this one included, are also easy to find and are very reasonably priced. If such a blend appeals to you, then give Scottish Mixture a try - I think you'll be pleasantly impressed.

Flavor: 2.5~3 Aroma: 3.5 Burning: 4 Coolness: 3.5~4 Bitterness: 1~1.5

Overall rating: 3.5